Generally you shouldn’t enter a pot in poker unless you feel you have an advantage. However, in certain cases you want to take a chance when your payout will be well worth it. Eventually you will hit a flop and win a monster pot. Consider it this way, have you ever gotten busted with AA because you let people limp in preflop?
When to Take a Risk
You want to take a risk when you have the potential of winning a big pot without sacrificing much money. For example, when most of the table limps in preflop you need to reconsider folding certain hands. Even if you don’t have much of a hand, you could get lucky and flop anything.
If you happen to flop a strong hand you will get paid off very well, as there are so many players in. Of course this won’t happen often, but when it does you will reap the benefits. By occasionally limping with suited connectors into multi way pots, you can hit a flop hard, and get paid off very nicely.
Specific Hands
If you are one of the last to act at the table, and most people have limped in, you want to play almost all suited cards as well as connecting cards. As you know, you aren’t likely to hit a flush or make a straight, but when that time comes, you will get paid off. One example of this is if you hold 34d in late position, and six people have limped in. This is an easy call, as your hand has great potential to become a monster.
Also, if you’re in the big blind with the same hand, and multiple players have called a small raise, you should call this as well. You’re the last person to act, so you know it won’t be reraised, and you have great pot odds to try and hit a flop.
Poker Training Online
When you Make a Flop
If you actually hit a flop, let’s say with the 34d, you still need to be cautious. If the flop is 34K, you need to play the hand aggressively. Anyone with a hand like KQ has a great chance of outdrawing you. If someone in early position bets the flop, and a few players call, you need to put in a large raise. Your goal is to take the pot here, as your hand is vulnerable.
If the flop comes A25, it is another story. Now your hand is very strong, and can only lose to a full house if the board pairs. On the flop you should just call a bet, and if no one bets, check. Depending on what the turn brings, you may have to bet to force draws out. If the turn is a 6, or makes 3 of a suit, then you need to bet out fairly strong, so any long shot draws are forced out.
Final Lesson
If you are late to act and almost everyone at the table is in (and assuming there hasn’t been much of a raise), you’ll want to limp in with any cards that have some sort of potential, such as suited cards, or connecting cards. You can’t expect to win all the time, but it’s worth the risk due to the reward you could get. So remember that if you can get into a big pot cheaply, go for it, but don’t stay in unless you hit or have good odds.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Friday, October 9, 2009
Taking Notes in Sit and Go's
Basically every poker site online allows players to take notes on other players. Doing this will give you an advantage in future hands against the same opponents. Because players are often very loyal to their site, you will see the same players quite often even on large sites such as Poker Stars.
When you take notes you should be looking for the best players and the weakest players. The reason for this is because you’re looking to avoid the best players and take advantage of the weakest players. Here are some good things to look for when taking notes:
Are the players tight or loose? For example, do they like to call often preflop with weak hands, or do they only play premium hands for raises?
Passive or aggressive? Aggressive players will be betting on the flop with nothing, raising often preflop, and playing many draws. Passive players will just be calling constantly.
Another good thing to note is if the player defends their blinds or not. If you notice a player always folds in the blind to a raise, you should start raising them in late position when they are in the blind.
Poker Training
Obviously, you can note if the player is winning or losing. This is an easy note to take, and can help you identify good and bad players.
The final thing you should be looking for is if the player is playing straightforward or trying to pull tricky moves. For example, do they like to semi bluff, check raise, and slow play strong hands, or do they just bet with good hands, and fold with bad ones?
When you take notes you should be looking for the best players and the weakest players. The reason for this is because you’re looking to avoid the best players and take advantage of the weakest players. Here are some good things to look for when taking notes:
Are the players tight or loose? For example, do they like to call often preflop with weak hands, or do they only play premium hands for raises?
Passive or aggressive? Aggressive players will be betting on the flop with nothing, raising often preflop, and playing many draws. Passive players will just be calling constantly.
Another good thing to note is if the player defends their blinds or not. If you notice a player always folds in the blind to a raise, you should start raising them in late position when they are in the blind.
Poker Training
Obviously, you can note if the player is winning or losing. This is an easy note to take, and can help you identify good and bad players.
The final thing you should be looking for is if the player is playing straightforward or trying to pull tricky moves. For example, do they like to semi bluff, check raise, and slow play strong hands, or do they just bet with good hands, and fold with bad ones?
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Texas holdem poker rules
Texas Holdem poker is the most popular form of poker played for real money. You can find texas holdem from the internet, from the casinos and from home around the world. It is so universal game that its almost mandatory to know the rules of texas holdem poker
Rules you need to know to get started in texas holdem
Two first players left to the dealer put out an ante or in other words a blind bet, the smaller blind is half of the bigger blind, with the big blind posted by the player who is last to act preflop.
After the blinds have been put out every player in the game is deal two cards these cards are called either pocket cards or hole cards. After the cards have been dealt the player who is next to dealer on dealers right side is first to act and after that the game proceed in clock-wise order. This phase of the game is called “preflop” and everyone makes a decision on their turn if they want to call, fold or raise. These are the rules of texas holdem poker you need to know to get a game going.
Flop, Turn and River texas holdem poker rules
After preflop action has been completed dealer deals 3 cards in the middle, these cards are also known as community cards and everyone in the table can use them to make the best possible poker hand. The first 3 cards are called the “flop” and first player to act on flop is small-blind and after small-blind everyone acts on their turn in clock-wise order. If the game is Texas Hold’em no limit you can bet any amount at any point of the hand (when its your turn) that is between or equal to the big blind and your whole chip stack. IF the game is limit texas hold’em the rules say that preflop and flop you can bet at max the amount of small blind and total of 4 of those bets can go in. The bets have to go in so that 1 player bets at max 1 bet mro then the previous, for an example player 1 bets one SB, player 2 raises to two small blinds. In turn and river betting rounds the maximum bet in limit holdem is equal to the big blind and also then maximum of 4 bets can go in.
After the flop action has been completed 4th community card is dealt, this card is also known as the turn and again small-blind(or if he is no-longer in the hand the player who is still in the hand and was closest to small-blind in clock-wise order) is the first to act.
Poker Online
After the turn action has been completed final community card is dealt, this card is also known as the “River” and again the action goes in same order, if there is still two or more players left in the pot after the final round has been completed the holder of the best 5 card poker hand wins. Pot can be also won if on anyone of the rounds there is only one player ready to put in the moneys. E.g if 3 players saw a flop and small blind bets out 100 chips on flop but no-one wants to call the pot small-blind player wins the pot. These are in a nutshell the texas holdem poker rules you need to know to get a game going.
Hand rankings:
There are the rankings of poker hands in texas holdem poker from best to worst:
1) Straight flush. 5 cards of same suit in a row, example of this is A,K,Q,J,T all hearts
2) 4 of a kind. 4 same number cards, like A,A,A,A
3) Full house 3 and 2 of same number, like A,A,A,K,K
4) 5 cards of the same suit, for example K,T,9,7,4 all hearts.
5) Straight 5 cards in a row like A,K,Q,J,T
6) Three of a kind, for an example 9,9,9
7) Two pairs, for example 99,88
8) One pair, like A,A
9) High card, nothing
Remember that you can use total of 5 cards from the community cards and the ones you hold in hand, if two players have same category hand the one with higher biggest card wins. For example 99,88 two pair beats 66,33 two pairs and 99,66 beats 99,55. If two or more players have exactly the same hand they split the pot. With these rules you should be able to enjoy and learn texas holdem even if you have never played it previously.
Rules you need to know to get started in texas holdem
Two first players left to the dealer put out an ante or in other words a blind bet, the smaller blind is half of the bigger blind, with the big blind posted by the player who is last to act preflop.
After the blinds have been put out every player in the game is deal two cards these cards are called either pocket cards or hole cards. After the cards have been dealt the player who is next to dealer on dealers right side is first to act and after that the game proceed in clock-wise order. This phase of the game is called “preflop” and everyone makes a decision on their turn if they want to call, fold or raise. These are the rules of texas holdem poker you need to know to get a game going.
Flop, Turn and River texas holdem poker rules
After preflop action has been completed dealer deals 3 cards in the middle, these cards are also known as community cards and everyone in the table can use them to make the best possible poker hand. The first 3 cards are called the “flop” and first player to act on flop is small-blind and after small-blind everyone acts on their turn in clock-wise order. If the game is Texas Hold’em no limit you can bet any amount at any point of the hand (when its your turn) that is between or equal to the big blind and your whole chip stack. IF the game is limit texas hold’em the rules say that preflop and flop you can bet at max the amount of small blind and total of 4 of those bets can go in. The bets have to go in so that 1 player bets at max 1 bet mro then the previous, for an example player 1 bets one SB, player 2 raises to two small blinds. In turn and river betting rounds the maximum bet in limit holdem is equal to the big blind and also then maximum of 4 bets can go in.
After the flop action has been completed 4th community card is dealt, this card is also known as the turn and again small-blind(or if he is no-longer in the hand the player who is still in the hand and was closest to small-blind in clock-wise order) is the first to act.
Poker Online
After the turn action has been completed final community card is dealt, this card is also known as the “River” and again the action goes in same order, if there is still two or more players left in the pot after the final round has been completed the holder of the best 5 card poker hand wins. Pot can be also won if on anyone of the rounds there is only one player ready to put in the moneys. E.g if 3 players saw a flop and small blind bets out 100 chips on flop but no-one wants to call the pot small-blind player wins the pot. These are in a nutshell the texas holdem poker rules you need to know to get a game going.
Hand rankings:
There are the rankings of poker hands in texas holdem poker from best to worst:
1) Straight flush. 5 cards of same suit in a row, example of this is A,K,Q,J,T all hearts
2) 4 of a kind. 4 same number cards, like A,A,A,A
3) Full house 3 and 2 of same number, like A,A,A,K,K
4) 5 cards of the same suit, for example K,T,9,7,4 all hearts.
5) Straight 5 cards in a row like A,K,Q,J,T
6) Three of a kind, for an example 9,9,9
7) Two pairs, for example 99,88
8) One pair, like A,A
9) High card, nothing
Remember that you can use total of 5 cards from the community cards and the ones you hold in hand, if two players have same category hand the one with higher biggest card wins. For example 99,88 two pair beats 66,33 two pairs and 99,66 beats 99,55. If two or more players have exactly the same hand they split the pot. With these rules you should be able to enjoy and learn texas holdem even if you have never played it previously.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
The Continuation Bet
Continuation bets are funny things. Everybody places continuation bets and we usually expect each other to place them, but we don’t really analyze the process. Almost everybody places continuation bets but few people realize why they do or how much strategy there is behind the continuation bet.
In today’s lesson on the art of the continuation bet, we will cover five topics:
1. Explanation of the continuation bet
2. The purpose of the continuation bet
3. When to place continuation bets
4. Stealing others’ continuation bets
5. How to defend against floaters
Texas Holdem
Explanation of the continuation bet
First of all, a continuation bet is a bet that is placed on the flop by the person who raised the hand preflop. Let’s use an example to get started. Say you raise preflop with a hand like AQ. One of the opponents, it doesn’t really matter who, calls your preflop raise and the flop comes down 23J. He checks to you, you bet and he folds. There you go; you have just placed a c-bet. It doesn’t matter if you hit or miss your hand or if your opponent calls or folds. A c-bet is any bet that you place on the flop after raising preflop.
The purpose of the continuation bet
Now that we have the idea of the continuation bet down pat, let’s move on to the reasons we use them. There is more logic behind the continuation bet (c-bet from now on) than just well you raised preflop – you have to bet!
There are three major reasons we place c-bets:
To win pots:
The main reason you place a c-bet is because there is a pot of money in the middle of the table just begging you to take it. Your opponent has no idea what you have you might just have AA for all he knows. You did show strength by raising preflop so go ahead and see if you can take the pot down. Even if the flop completely missed you, your opponent will need a good reason to continue against what looks like a strong hand. So go ahead and get yourself that money. Every little bit helps.
To remain unpredictable:
The second reason we place continuation bets is to keep our opponents guessing. You would be predictable if you only placed flop bets when your hand was strong and checked when it was weak. Everybody would be able to play perfect poker against you and that would be no good.
To protect your hand:
A part of basic sit and go strategy is raising your strong hands preflop so that you can charge weaker hands to stay in and try to beat you. After you have raised preflop, there’s a pot out there that you need to protect. You don’t want to let your opponents draw for free so you place a c-bet.
When to place c-bets
There are good times to place c-bets and then there are bad times. Against a single opponent, it’s almost always a good time to place a c-bet. Unless you are up against a super calling station, an insistent floater or a really scary board, it’s safe to bet almost 100% of the time against a single opponent.
The best time to place a c-bet is when you have position on a single opponent. One of the worst times to place a c-bet is when out of position against multiple opponents. When you are out of position against two or more opponents, too much is going against you to profitably continue the hand. Even when in position, you should usually skip the c-bet if there are multiple opponents in the pot.
Insistent floaters are people who call continuation bets for the sole purpose of stealing the pot from you on the turn. They know all about c-bets and they love to steal them. I’ll get to these guys later.
Poker Training Online
Stealing others’ continuation bets
Now that you know all about c-bets, why not try stealing them from other people? You know that at least half the time you place a c-bet, you don’t really have anything. When other people place c-bets, especially tight, predictable players, you have a great opportunity to call the c-bet and then wait from them to check to you on the turn so that you can place a bet and take the pot.
The term for this play is floating. It’s really annoying when other people float you, so you should do it to other people. No, you don’t do this just to pass the annoyance on; you do it because it’s a hard play to defend against. It wins pots and it keeps you unpredictable.
How to defend against floaters
Floaters are annoying because they constantly steal the pots we are trying to take down. They like to call c-bets so that they can steal the pot on the turn when you slow down and check. Well, there are three things you can do to defend against the insistent floater:
Raise less preflop when out of position
If you’re raising a bunch of trashy hands preflop, it’s going to put pressure on you to c-bet while at the same time making it less likely to hit a real hand. The floater has the advantage because it’s going to be hard to win many pots without decent hands from out of position.
Continuation bet less
No, this isn’t giving up and letting the floater win. It is simply a change of tactics. By c-betting less, you are increasing the percentage of good hands that you do c-bet with. If you are c-betting with strong hands more often, the profitability of floating you diminishes.
Check-raise the turn more
This one will keep the floater wondering. If you have a strong hand, go ahead and c-bet it and then go for a turn check-raise. This will totally take the floater off guard and he’ll remember it the next time he thinks about floating you. Every once in a while, just to mix it up, check-raise the turn as a bluff. Use this sparingly, though, because it’s expensive and there’s a chance the floater will think you’re just getting mad and bluffing.
In today’s lesson on the art of the continuation bet, we will cover five topics:
1. Explanation of the continuation bet
2. The purpose of the continuation bet
3. When to place continuation bets
4. Stealing others’ continuation bets
5. How to defend against floaters
Texas Holdem
Explanation of the continuation bet
First of all, a continuation bet is a bet that is placed on the flop by the person who raised the hand preflop. Let’s use an example to get started. Say you raise preflop with a hand like AQ. One of the opponents, it doesn’t really matter who, calls your preflop raise and the flop comes down 23J. He checks to you, you bet and he folds. There you go; you have just placed a c-bet. It doesn’t matter if you hit or miss your hand or if your opponent calls or folds. A c-bet is any bet that you place on the flop after raising preflop.
The purpose of the continuation bet
Now that we have the idea of the continuation bet down pat, let’s move on to the reasons we use them. There is more logic behind the continuation bet (c-bet from now on) than just well you raised preflop – you have to bet!
There are three major reasons we place c-bets:
To win pots:
The main reason you place a c-bet is because there is a pot of money in the middle of the table just begging you to take it. Your opponent has no idea what you have you might just have AA for all he knows. You did show strength by raising preflop so go ahead and see if you can take the pot down. Even if the flop completely missed you, your opponent will need a good reason to continue against what looks like a strong hand. So go ahead and get yourself that money. Every little bit helps.
To remain unpredictable:
The second reason we place continuation bets is to keep our opponents guessing. You would be predictable if you only placed flop bets when your hand was strong and checked when it was weak. Everybody would be able to play perfect poker against you and that would be no good.
To protect your hand:
A part of basic sit and go strategy is raising your strong hands preflop so that you can charge weaker hands to stay in and try to beat you. After you have raised preflop, there’s a pot out there that you need to protect. You don’t want to let your opponents draw for free so you place a c-bet.
When to place c-bets
There are good times to place c-bets and then there are bad times. Against a single opponent, it’s almost always a good time to place a c-bet. Unless you are up against a super calling station, an insistent floater or a really scary board, it’s safe to bet almost 100% of the time against a single opponent.
The best time to place a c-bet is when you have position on a single opponent. One of the worst times to place a c-bet is when out of position against multiple opponents. When you are out of position against two or more opponents, too much is going against you to profitably continue the hand. Even when in position, you should usually skip the c-bet if there are multiple opponents in the pot.
Insistent floaters are people who call continuation bets for the sole purpose of stealing the pot from you on the turn. They know all about c-bets and they love to steal them. I’ll get to these guys later.
Poker Training Online
Stealing others’ continuation bets
Now that you know all about c-bets, why not try stealing them from other people? You know that at least half the time you place a c-bet, you don’t really have anything. When other people place c-bets, especially tight, predictable players, you have a great opportunity to call the c-bet and then wait from them to check to you on the turn so that you can place a bet and take the pot.
The term for this play is floating. It’s really annoying when other people float you, so you should do it to other people. No, you don’t do this just to pass the annoyance on; you do it because it’s a hard play to defend against. It wins pots and it keeps you unpredictable.
How to defend against floaters
Floaters are annoying because they constantly steal the pots we are trying to take down. They like to call c-bets so that they can steal the pot on the turn when you slow down and check. Well, there are three things you can do to defend against the insistent floater:
Raise less preflop when out of position
If you’re raising a bunch of trashy hands preflop, it’s going to put pressure on you to c-bet while at the same time making it less likely to hit a real hand. The floater has the advantage because it’s going to be hard to win many pots without decent hands from out of position.
Continuation bet less
No, this isn’t giving up and letting the floater win. It is simply a change of tactics. By c-betting less, you are increasing the percentage of good hands that you do c-bet with. If you are c-betting with strong hands more often, the profitability of floating you diminishes.
Check-raise the turn more
This one will keep the floater wondering. If you have a strong hand, go ahead and c-bet it and then go for a turn check-raise. This will totally take the floater off guard and he’ll remember it the next time he thinks about floating you. Every once in a while, just to mix it up, check-raise the turn as a bluff. Use this sparingly, though, because it’s expensive and there’s a chance the floater will think you’re just getting mad and bluffing.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
The Novice Poker Player
It’s happened to everyone. A novice calls and calls you for no particular reason, then catches a miracle on fifth street and takes a whole lot of your money. Say you’re in the poker room at the local casino, playing no limit Texas Hold ‘Em and betting strong with two-pair going into the river. Everyone has dropped out except for the man two spaces to your left, a bespectacled and grumpy-looking 75-year old whose mannerisms and erratic betting make him a tough read, but also give you confidence that he bets when he feels like it regardless of the cards. He’s hunched over, staring at the cards in the middle. He’s been calling you almost dutifully. You have him pegged for a pair, maybe even a low one. Then again he might just be senile and betting for fun with nothing. Under the circumstances, you’re sure your hand is the winner and thank the old man in your head for giving away his money.
Texas Holdem
The fifth card up is a nine of spades, of no consequence to your hand and surely not to his either. He leans back and exhales. You bet, and in an obvious but futile move, he tries to save all the money he’s wasted by doubling the raise in an attempt to buy the pot. You raise back and look up, almost feeling sorry for him. He raises back, not even looking at you. Finally, you raise again and he calls. You flip your cards, feeling good with your queens and jacks. But, without looking, he tosses his cards into the table, and there it is: a straight to the ten. He collects the money without even a sideways look at you, like he somehow earned it, while you’re left with your head in your hands, possibly trying to flag down the cocktail waitress to bring you a shot of whiskey.
What happened? All of the coy strategy, the Rounders patois and information gleaned from hours of reading poker manuals, and you got your clock cleaned by an inferior player just entertaining himself between pension checks. The answer comes in bringing yourself back to a time when you barely knew the rules; when you had to be constantly reminded whether a flush is better than a straight. Poker, to the very occasional player, is not about the complex, deeply psychological battle of will and mental faculty that it is in more seasoned competition. Instead, the novice player is dealing mainly with tension and release. So if you’re not yet able to spot tells like a pro, the key to cracking novices is remembering these key fundamental motivations. After that realization, a novice’s seemingly erratic betting patterns become easy to crack. It’s a matter of associating simple actions with the size of their bets and the cards on the table.
Poker Training
Now look back at his first raise after he caught the nine to complete his straight. The raise means two possible things, and it’s likely that he’s got it written all over his mannerisms. One is the tension of a man deeply involved in a pot with a weak hand. The other is the release, and vindication, of all that betting he was doing earlier. That’s all you’re looking for, either tension or the release of earlier tension.
Yes, he caught an inside straight on the river. Go ahead and feel sorry for yourself. But in medium and low stakes games where less-than-competent players are throwing their money around, it’s not as uncommon as it should be. A big raise from someone who had been calling on a card like a nine, that late in the game, means the nine either helped him or hurt him. So take a look. Is he hunched over, hardly breathing and squinting through a weak smile? Does he keep shifting in his seat and emitting dissatisfied sighs? Think about how someone would look when they’re tense. Or is he leaned back, fighting to hold off a smile that threatens to break out across his face? Those would indicate the release of tension and the vindication of their actions.
Looking back, everything from his lean to the audible exhale indicated a release of tension, and that coupled with a raise should have thrown up all kinds of warning signs.
Hindsight, of course, is 20/20. But in the end, you will only do yourself a favor by remembering that all novices are ruled by simple motivations, day and night different from the cryptic, complex strategies of an expert. To remember those simple motivations can save you from wasting even more money on the inconceivably lucky draws to which novices are prone.
Texas Holdem
The fifth card up is a nine of spades, of no consequence to your hand and surely not to his either. He leans back and exhales. You bet, and in an obvious but futile move, he tries to save all the money he’s wasted by doubling the raise in an attempt to buy the pot. You raise back and look up, almost feeling sorry for him. He raises back, not even looking at you. Finally, you raise again and he calls. You flip your cards, feeling good with your queens and jacks. But, without looking, he tosses his cards into the table, and there it is: a straight to the ten. He collects the money without even a sideways look at you, like he somehow earned it, while you’re left with your head in your hands, possibly trying to flag down the cocktail waitress to bring you a shot of whiskey.
What happened? All of the coy strategy, the Rounders patois and information gleaned from hours of reading poker manuals, and you got your clock cleaned by an inferior player just entertaining himself between pension checks. The answer comes in bringing yourself back to a time when you barely knew the rules; when you had to be constantly reminded whether a flush is better than a straight. Poker, to the very occasional player, is not about the complex, deeply psychological battle of will and mental faculty that it is in more seasoned competition. Instead, the novice player is dealing mainly with tension and release. So if you’re not yet able to spot tells like a pro, the key to cracking novices is remembering these key fundamental motivations. After that realization, a novice’s seemingly erratic betting patterns become easy to crack. It’s a matter of associating simple actions with the size of their bets and the cards on the table.
Poker Training
Now look back at his first raise after he caught the nine to complete his straight. The raise means two possible things, and it’s likely that he’s got it written all over his mannerisms. One is the tension of a man deeply involved in a pot with a weak hand. The other is the release, and vindication, of all that betting he was doing earlier. That’s all you’re looking for, either tension or the release of earlier tension.
Yes, he caught an inside straight on the river. Go ahead and feel sorry for yourself. But in medium and low stakes games where less-than-competent players are throwing their money around, it’s not as uncommon as it should be. A big raise from someone who had been calling on a card like a nine, that late in the game, means the nine either helped him or hurt him. So take a look. Is he hunched over, hardly breathing and squinting through a weak smile? Does he keep shifting in his seat and emitting dissatisfied sighs? Think about how someone would look when they’re tense. Or is he leaned back, fighting to hold off a smile that threatens to break out across his face? Those would indicate the release of tension and the vindication of their actions.
Looking back, everything from his lean to the audible exhale indicated a release of tension, and that coupled with a raise should have thrown up all kinds of warning signs.
Hindsight, of course, is 20/20. But in the end, you will only do yourself a favor by remembering that all novices are ruled by simple motivations, day and night different from the cryptic, complex strategies of an expert. To remember those simple motivations can save you from wasting even more money on the inconceivably lucky draws to which novices are prone.
Monday, October 5, 2009
The Truth about Suited Connectors - No Limit Holdem
Many players love to see flops with suited connectors. I’ve seen, otherwise strong players, call early position raises with unimpressive hands like 65s more times than I can believe. Now, I know there is a time and place to make such a call. Maybe when the blinds are extremely small compared to the stacks and the raise came from a particularly weak player. I know a lot of top players will take flops with the medium suited connectors like 87s to see if they can flop a monster and bust someone. There is a time and there is a place for playing suited connectors. More over, however, the hands are overplayed by players who are unable to profit with them.
Online Poker
The first thing I want to note is the skill level that is required to effectively play these hands. I feel like beginner and intermediate players should leave them alone all together. Looking back on my first couple years of no limit hold ‘em play, I know I lost a lot of money messing with marginal hands like T9s. I think I’ve gone bust with QJs more than any other hand, and still find myself in really tricky spots playing it. The point I want to make here is that suited connectors are extremely difficult hands to play. You should leave them alone until you have a great handle on pot odds and counting outs. You also have to have a lot of table time under your belt to stay out of trouble with these hands. You should have a good read on the other players you’re up against and be comfortable playing flops with those players. Suited connectors get you into a lot of murky water that requires a lot of experience to effectively navigate.
Texas Holdem
There are two very important requirements that I look for before deciding to enter a pot with suited connectors. The first one is the size of the blinds in relation to my stack and the stacks of my opponents. The second is my position, both relative to the dealer, and relative to the raiser if the pot has been opened. If I’m playing in a cash game with blinds of say one and two dollars and all the players have around two hundred dollars in play, I will usually be willing to call a small raise if I’m on the dealer button or the cutt-off seat (one from the dealer.) with suited connectors JTs, T9s, and 98s only. I will limp in with these hands only from middle or late position. I’d play the hands similarly in the early stages of a tournament with, say, 1000 in tournament chips and blinds of maybe 10- 20. In the middle stages of 1000 chip tournaments, when the blinds are around the 50-100 stage, I will rarely play suited connectors except when I can limp in on the button or complete the blind from the small blind. Of course I will often open with suited connectors T9s, JTs, and QJs from late position if the players in the blinds are fairly tight, just trying to steal the blinds.
Online Poker
The first thing I want to note is the skill level that is required to effectively play these hands. I feel like beginner and intermediate players should leave them alone all together. Looking back on my first couple years of no limit hold ‘em play, I know I lost a lot of money messing with marginal hands like T9s. I think I’ve gone bust with QJs more than any other hand, and still find myself in really tricky spots playing it. The point I want to make here is that suited connectors are extremely difficult hands to play. You should leave them alone until you have a great handle on pot odds and counting outs. You also have to have a lot of table time under your belt to stay out of trouble with these hands. You should have a good read on the other players you’re up against and be comfortable playing flops with those players. Suited connectors get you into a lot of murky water that requires a lot of experience to effectively navigate.
Texas Holdem
There are two very important requirements that I look for before deciding to enter a pot with suited connectors. The first one is the size of the blinds in relation to my stack and the stacks of my opponents. The second is my position, both relative to the dealer, and relative to the raiser if the pot has been opened. If I’m playing in a cash game with blinds of say one and two dollars and all the players have around two hundred dollars in play, I will usually be willing to call a small raise if I’m on the dealer button or the cutt-off seat (one from the dealer.) with suited connectors JTs, T9s, and 98s only. I will limp in with these hands only from middle or late position. I’d play the hands similarly in the early stages of a tournament with, say, 1000 in tournament chips and blinds of maybe 10- 20. In the middle stages of 1000 chip tournaments, when the blinds are around the 50-100 stage, I will rarely play suited connectors except when I can limp in on the button or complete the blind from the small blind. Of course I will often open with suited connectors T9s, JTs, and QJs from late position if the players in the blinds are fairly tight, just trying to steal the blinds.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Top Ten Hold'em Beginners Mistakes
Like in any other sport or game, beginners make mistakes. No one is born with the innate skill to be a hold’em poker star. The way we naturally react to some classic situations is not always the optimal play. Here is a list of the top ten most common novices’ mistakes.
Texas Holdem Online
1. Wait to post a blind until you become the big blind. Do not post the blind as soon as you sit down. This extra blind payment seems like nothing, but if compounded over a long time, this will make a hole in your bankroll.
2. Know something about the game beyond the rules. Read a beginner’s book. Read some of the strategy articles on this website. It will save you a lot of times and money to have a notion of strategy instead of wandering in the wrong direction.
3. Exert patience. Control your tendency to seek action and only play a select group of strong hands preflop. It is suboptimal to play more than 30% of hands preflop.
4. Exert control. Do not chase miraculous cards. If you missed the flop or have a weak hand, do not pay an aggressive opponent likely to have you beaten. Do not be the sheriff trying to catch every bluff.
5. Exert prudence in your bankroll management Only risk the money you can lose. Play first at low limits you can afford. Try fixed limit before no-limit to learn the ropes. Put one toe in the water before jumping in.
6. Do not over slow play or over trap. Slow playing is a strategy to be used with caution. If used systematically with strong hands, it will backfire because it enables your opponents to draw cheaply against you and to give you bad beats. It is better to collect a small pot with a big bet, than to lose a big pot with small initial bets.
7. Do not take it personally. No one is there to get you. Do not seek revenge against a villain who gave you a bad beat by calling your preflop raise with 7♥ 3♣. When you play texas hold’em on the Internet, opponents change very frequently so there is no point in making a crusade against a lucky donkey.
8. Do not be impatient. Remember that against 9 players, you have 10% chance to have the best hand each time. Do not expect to win every hand.
9. Do not play more tables than you can handle. Multi-tabling is a buzzword in online poker. Do not abuse it! Start with one table and increment progressively. Playing multi tables at the same time can be dangerous if you have to make two difficult decisions simultaneously.
10. Do not play scared, or too “nit”. Poker is a risk reward game and very exceptionally will you hold the unbeatable nuts. You must take risk, meaning that you have to be willing to lose money sometimes in order to make money overall. Scared play is easily exploitable.
If you can avoid the top ten mistakes, you are on the road to success.
Texas Holdem Online
1. Wait to post a blind until you become the big blind. Do not post the blind as soon as you sit down. This extra blind payment seems like nothing, but if compounded over a long time, this will make a hole in your bankroll.
2. Know something about the game beyond the rules. Read a beginner’s book. Read some of the strategy articles on this website. It will save you a lot of times and money to have a notion of strategy instead of wandering in the wrong direction.
3. Exert patience. Control your tendency to seek action and only play a select group of strong hands preflop. It is suboptimal to play more than 30% of hands preflop.
4. Exert control. Do not chase miraculous cards. If you missed the flop or have a weak hand, do not pay an aggressive opponent likely to have you beaten. Do not be the sheriff trying to catch every bluff.
5. Exert prudence in your bankroll management Only risk the money you can lose. Play first at low limits you can afford. Try fixed limit before no-limit to learn the ropes. Put one toe in the water before jumping in.
6. Do not over slow play or over trap. Slow playing is a strategy to be used with caution. If used systematically with strong hands, it will backfire because it enables your opponents to draw cheaply against you and to give you bad beats. It is better to collect a small pot with a big bet, than to lose a big pot with small initial bets.
7. Do not take it personally. No one is there to get you. Do not seek revenge against a villain who gave you a bad beat by calling your preflop raise with 7♥ 3♣. When you play texas hold’em on the Internet, opponents change very frequently so there is no point in making a crusade against a lucky donkey.
8. Do not be impatient. Remember that against 9 players, you have 10% chance to have the best hand each time. Do not expect to win every hand.
9. Do not play more tables than you can handle. Multi-tabling is a buzzword in online poker. Do not abuse it! Start with one table and increment progressively. Playing multi tables at the same time can be dangerous if you have to make two difficult decisions simultaneously.
10. Do not play scared, or too “nit”. Poker is a risk reward game and very exceptionally will you hold the unbeatable nuts. You must take risk, meaning that you have to be willing to lose money sometimes in order to make money overall. Scared play is easily exploitable.
If you can avoid the top ten mistakes, you are on the road to success.
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